Episode One: The Letters

In which nothing becomes clear. Featuring: ghosts, memories, missed connections, The Past, and a lingering sense of unease.

Episode description: A home health carer for a secretive old woman tries to get in contact with her client's estranged granddaughter.

Episode Overview
Anna Limón, the live-in carer for Sally Martin, first contacts the granddaughter of her charge, Mabel, trying to discover the truth behind a mysterious box of letters she found in the attic of Sally's secluded home.

Trigger Warnings

 * Momentary mentions of: dementia, panic attacks, heart attacks, strokes and death.

Episode Summary
Anna calls Mabel and explains that she got her number from a friend of a friend. She explains that she's not calling because something bad has happened to Sally, Mabel's grandmother, only because she has a question. After three days without receiving an answer, Anna calls again. This goes on for some time until Anna finally realizes Mabel will not answer, but decides to plow on anyway. She explains that the previous week (maybe Monday or Tuesday) Sally asked Anna to go up in the attic to get a box of Christmas lights with the word '1986 ' written on the side. Anna finds the box and brings it downstairs for Sally without opening it.

Sally opens the box in the kitchen, but when she opens it, she starts screaming ' like a fox, something inhuman'. Anna throws the box to the ground. Eventually, Sally starts saying "I’m going into the ground for you," over and over again. Anna gets the sense that it means something important.

Anna waits until Sally falls asleep before going downstairs to see what's in the box. The box is filled with letters, hundreds or even thousands of then, bundled into packets and tied with red and white butcher's twine. All of them are in the same envelope with a navy-blue stripe across the top and with the same 'scribbled, uneven handwriting'. Each one is stamped with a red stamp that reads 'Returned to Sender ', but not a single on of them is opened. They are all addressed to Sally Martin, 'at this house, at this address'. Each is sealed with a red lipstick kiss.

The episode ends abruptly when Mabel's voicemail box fills up.

Continuity
''' Please note that this section contains spoilers for later episodes of Mabel. Continue at your own risk. '''


 * In Episode Three: The Man in the Street, Anna notes that there is a name and a town written on the envelopes. The name is Luna Thorne and the town is Fairy Hill.

Trivia
'''Please note that this section contains spoilers for later episodes of Mabel. Continue at your own risk.'''


 * Anna reveals that she's been working for Sally for six months, over which she has 'gotten to know [Sally] pretty well'.
 * Anna talks about how there are several photographs of Mabel on Sally's mantle, adding to the illusion that Sally cared about Mabel.
 * We learn that the house is very secluded and very big.
 * There is a night carer/relief carer, though she's not mentioned often. Her name is Lisa.
 * Sally uses a wheelchair.